Red Headed Cinderella
by Marla's Lost
Summary: I'm borrowing a scene from the story "A Girl Returns Home - A Christmas Story" This is what I think happened after Donna got her Christmas gift from Jackie.  It's just a little bonus...


Okay, so I'm borrowing a scene from TL22's _"__**A Girl Returns Home - A Christmas Story**_**"** This is what I think happened after Donna got her Christmas gift from Jackie (_read the story – it's really good!_) Hope you don't mind Tony!

**_"Don't worry Donna I got you something also." Jackie handed Donna an envelope._****_ Donna opened the envelope and her eyes got wide. "Jackie this is an inclusive gift certificate to Juan Domingo's beauty salon." Then it was if the air went out of Donna." Jackie, this is in Los Angles, how am I going to get there?_**

_**"Donna, I figured the only way I could get you into a decent salon was to drag you to one and you had no where you could run. There is more in that envelope."**** Donna reached into the envelope and couldn't believe what she saw. "Jackie these are round trip tickets to Los Angeles."**_

_**"****Yes Donna, I figured once I had you all alone with me in Los Angles we could spend the day at Juan Domingo's like normal girlfriends and do normal girl things like get our hair done, pedicure, facial. It'll be so much fun Donna, wait and see."**_

**_The story continues…_**

**Red Headed Cinderella**

The early morning flight touched down at LAX just as the sun was coming up over the San Bernardino Mountains. Donna yawned and stretched in her luxurious seat as the captain announced a safe arrival and to expect normal springtime temperatures in the mid-seventies. She looked to her right outside the Plexiglas window at the shimmering wing of the jet as it taxied into the terminal. _What time was it in Wisconsin?_ Donna flipped her long blonde hair over her shoulder and covered a second yawn as she stood up to collect her bag from the overhead compartment.

Flying first class definitely had its perks!

"Thank you and have a nice day." The perky stewardess replied as Donna exited the plane. The first thing that the Wisconsin native noticed was the smell of traffic. The early morning dew seemed to bring it out from the tarmac and it lingered in the background like a stinky fish. Nevertheless, she trudged to the carousel to collect her luggage. It had been so sweet of Eric to get her some new luggage with wheels for her "special trip."

Donna rolled her new luggage behind her as she walked to through the terminal towards the exit. Jackie had promised that someone would be there to meet her when she arrived. She walked through the large glass doors and was surprised to see a good looking uniformed man holding a cardboard sign with the words "Pinciotti," printed in block letters. He was movie star handsome and when Donna waved and pointed at herself he gave her a wide dentist perfect smile.

"Hello Miss Pinciotti. I hope your flight was uneventful." The uniform said respectfully. Donna stopped, "Now why would you say that?"

The man grinned and stood back against the maroon colored Buick Regal. Exhaling slowly and with a smooth easy fashion he reached behind his head and pulled an elastic band from his hair. Long sun-kissed locks fell around his shoulders. The bookish accent disappeared as he replied, "Well, I was amped up because they're double paying me to pick someone up on a day with no waves and lucky for me, you aint a triple bagger!"

Donna waved her hand, "Enough of the surfer talk, I realize I'm in California but you don't have to put on an act to amuse me."

The driver actually looked insulted as he folded his arms across his broad chest. "Check it lady, I live in Hermosa Beach and this is just my day job. If you're gonna act like a dweeb, I'll go call the service and get some other brah to come get you."

"Calm down Mr. Zog." Donna laughed, "I thought this was an _act_. You know, like in _you_ are an _actor_ and I'm supposed to be impressed? Just put my bags in the trunk."

She left the young surfer/driver to deal with her bags while she slid into the front seat of the fancy car. "Hey! You're supposed to sit in the back – I'm….I'm the chauffer!" he protested.

Donna smiled, "If you're good, maybe I'll leave you a nice tip."

The driver exhaled loudly, "You're not from around here are you?"

Donna patted his smooth cheek, "No sweetie, I'm from Wisconsin."

xXx

The art deco building was surrounded by tall palm trees swaying in the light breeze and Donna noticed that the paned lobby was expansive and the details of the Sunset Tower Hotel were expensive and was probably the best hotel West Hollywood had to offer if Jackie had anything to do with the reservations! The heels of Donna's shoes clicked loudly on marble floors as she followed the valet to the service counter. "Good morning, I'm Donna Pinciotti and..."

"Ah...Miss Pinciotti! We've been expecting you." Was her greeting from the peppy woman at the Concierge/Front desk. "Sebastian here will take you up to the penthouse suite. If you need anything during your stay...anything, call the front desk and we'll have it up to you in a jiffy!"

Sebastian was a Richard Gere lookalike dressed in a crisp black and white uniform with a black bow tie that Donna thought would look adorable on Eric. _If he wore bowties!_ She walked to the bank of elevators while her companion pressed the button for the 15th floor.

Her room was opulent and almost to the point of overindulgence but still Donna fell in love with it. The soft pastels were soothing and the king-sized bed was superior to the one she shared with Eric. She could lay diagonal if she wanted and still have room! The draperies were light and pulled to the side of the massive windows that stared out at all of Los Angeles County. She touched the glass and could almost swear she saw the ocean. Seriously, this room was too big for one person. A soft cough startled her out of her musings.

"Oh." She murmured. Sebastian wanted a tip. Donna pulled some bills out of her wallet and hoped that was enough for this bellboy. Eh, he probably got plenty of big tips so she didn't worry about her own. Mr. Richard Gere doppelganger nodded his head and shoved the tip into his pocket without looking at it. _He probably did the same thing with all the single women's phone numbers_, Donna mused with a half smile. She waited until the door closed and ran to the bed and took a flying leap to land in the center of the plush blankets and down-filled pillows.

Bliss.

Donna sat up and wandered barefoot out to the al fresco terrace with its beautiful scalloped stone balcony. All of Hollywood and Beverly Hills lay glittering at her feet – it was a liberating experience. Wait! If she didn't call Jackie now, the midget would be over in two seconds to ruin the _ecstasy_ of this wonderful morning!

xXx

Her bare foot was dropped carefully into the pedicure basin while she tied the terry cloth robe belt into a knot at her waist. Donna felt a little uncomfortable about being semi-naked under the robe when she wasn't at home. The pedi-chair was soft and comfy but Donna couldn't relax - Jackie was flitting around like some dammed bumblebee. An older woman with a kindly face sat down at Donna's feet with basket of tools. She clucked her tongue.

"Is there something wrong?" Donna asked. The water jets were turned on and a soapy-bubbly water began filling the tub.

The older woman shook her head, "No ma'am. I just never saw such large...excuse me...such handsome feet. Soak yes?" and once again Donna's feet were plunged back into the soapy water. The warm water rushing in did feel good and the woman's hand massaging between her toes was just this side of sensual. A soft bristled brush was exfoliating the calluses from her heels and Donna finally leaned back and closed her eyes giving into the pedicure. Maybe Jackie knew a little something about salons that was worth checking out back home!

"Oh Donna!" the midget gushed. "I booked us for the mud bath!"

Donna opened one eye. "I don't play in mud and I'm certainly not bathing in one."

Jackie playfully swatted at her arm. "Don't be silly. It's wonderful! It will take off all those old Point Place dead skin cells and you'll feel invigorated and ready for the party tonight."

This time Donna opened both eyes. "What party?"

The trim brunette sat in the pedi-chair next to her friend. "It's a Hollywood party and _everybody's_ going to be there! So..._we_ have to be there"

No-nonsense Donna replied, "You're the film star - you have to be there. I'm going to be relaxing in my penthouse suite. Which, by the way, I haven't thanked you for…yet."

Another salon worker pulled up a stool next to the blonde headed woman and took Donna's hand, placing it in a soaking dish which had fragrant scented oil.

"Manicure?" The pixie faced blonde asked. Donna pulled her hand back, "Not now!"

Jackie turned in her seat, "Donna, this is big. No it's HUGE - Dustin Hoffman will be there, Michelle Pfeiffer and I know you like her movies...Meryl Streep is coming with Gene Hackman...how can you NOT want to be there? Wouldn't you like to take home a picture of you standing next to Alec Guiness? I swear Eric will pitch a tent when he sees you with Obi Wan Kenobi."

Donna chuckled. "Seriously, why don't you just take Slade Johnson with you?"

Jackie sighed, "He's bringing his _special_ friend - I told you about him."

Donna's eyes narrowed as she tried to remember. "_Special_ friend. Oh. OH! ...Okay, tell you what. I'll make a quick stop on the way to my hotel room, but if I don't like it I'm leaving."

Jackie had to word the invite to make it sound more enticing. "It's being held at the Griffith Observatory. You can see the stars from the huge telescope or dance on the floor. It's an open bar and the moon is going to be fat and beautiful like me and you can pretend you're a movie star..."

Donna swiveled her head, "Are you serious? I came out here to get pampered, spend time with you and then I have to go home. Why ruin it with a party?"

Jackie tugged on a lock of stringy blonde hair, "Haven't you ever wanted to be somebody else for one day? See how the other half lives? I can tell the partygoers that you are a publisher from some obscure magazine in Kenosha and Donna...just think of the interviews you could get...you could really make an impact on your students..." Jackie let it hang there to see if Donna would take the bait.

Donna did.

"All right, but I'm not wearing any freaking disguises. I'm going as myself and I refuse to call you Beulah."

Jackie smiled broadly, "It's a deal."

xXx

She wiped the mud from her eyes and spit. "This is gross. Honestly, how can you tell me that warm mud feels good? It feels like I'm sitting in a dirty diaper. I'm out of here." Donna stood up but her feet slid and her arms started wind-milling as she caught her balance and rolled out onto the padded floor. There was mud in places she didn't even want to think about! Pulling the knotted towel from her hair, Donna headed for the showers with Jackie trailing close behind.

"...and we'll change your hair back to a lovely shade of red with some copper highlights..."

Jackie was shouting over the delicious spray of water from the sunflower size showerhead.

"CAN"T HEAR YOU AND DON'T WANT TO..."

"...and we'll get some flashy gladiator sandals that will show off your new toenails..."

"NOT LISTENING...GO AWAY PIPSQUEAK." Donna turned around and let the water pulse down her back. She looked at her feet and the pedicure did make her toes look nice and her feet were smooth and soft...but going back to red? Never!

xXx

"Ow!" Donna tried to yank her hand away but the manicurist had firm grip on her wrist. "Just hold still. If I don't file the nail, the glue has nothing to bond to."

"You are grinding down my nail bed, not filing it. Stop!" Donna ordered. Jackie touched her friend on the back of the hand, "Donna, it's just a little discomfort - you are going to have beautiful fingers - don't fight it."

Donna held out her left hand that was sporting three inch long acrylic tips on each finger. "I look like a human rake. How am I supposed to do anything with these claws?"

Giggling, Jackie replied, "Silly - they will be filed down and you'll have the prettiest French manicure you ever had. Just relax. More champagne? Juan Domingo has only the best of the bubbly for his lady patrons."

Donna's eyes narrowed. "Are you NOT saying that guys go here too?"

With a tiny smirk, Jackie answered, "well...at least according to Slade..." The champagne was going to Jackie's head and the giggles became infectious as Donna imagined that handsome rugged movie star sitting in a mud bath. She started laughing and it was so easy to pretend she was back in Wisconsin just enjoying an afternoon of girl stuff with her old friend.

xXx

"I told you no color. I like it blonde." Donna argued. Jackie picked up a limp strand and let it flop over Donna's bare shoulder. She clucked her tongue, "Red made you look more…..vibrant. You could be red with streaks of strawberry blonde and get a trim so this just touches your shoulder….you would be a knock out."

"I'm going to knock you out if you don't leave my hair alone." Donna warned. "It took Eric a long time to get used to me being a blonde and I don't want to confuse him."

Laughing, Jackie replied, "C'mon….just a trim and a little color? You're here in Hollywood, be daring. Be delicious. Be Donna."

Within minutes, scissors were slashing and snipping and her hair was freefalling to the floor. Donna's eyes were covered with cucumbers while a salon employee painted her face with egg wash to tighten the skin.

Jackie sighed, "Doesn't it feel good to be pampered?"

Donna's flesh was so tight she could only murmur her agreement. The hairstylist had a light touch and the elevator music was soothing and the tall girl's feet' felt great! Those long claws she sported earlier were filed down into a beautiful French manicure just like Jackie had predicted. This Pinciotti girl never had fingernails that looked this good before.

xXx

The stylists chair was whirled around and Donna gasped. Her once blonde hair had been fashioned into a long bob that skimmed her collarbone and the strawberry blonde streaks looked stunning against the red background. Her eyes sparkled in the mirror and Donna could swear her image WAS a movie star. Some plum kohl eye liner had brightened her eyes and a soft coral on her lips made her look like a model.

Jackie was looking at Donna's reflection in the mirror and nodding in approval. "See? Even a lumberjack can be gorgeous!"

Donna reached out a beautiful manicured hand and yanked on a lock of brunette hair. "Ow!" Jackie laughed. "C'mon, admit it. You. Are. Stunning."

Donna smirked, "If only Eric could see me now." No sooner were the words out of her lips then a flash of light from a Polaroid camera nearly blinded her. "Crap, you would have to go act all Kitty Forman on me!"

Laughing, Jackie reached for her friend's hand. "Come on, we're going shopping on Rodeo Drive."

xXx

The sun was setting in the west and just as Jackie predicted, Donna's feet were strapped up in silver gladiator sandals which perfectly complemented the azure shirt dress she let Jackie talk her into wearing. Donna argued with herself when she saw the expensive price tag but Jackie whipped out her credit card and the dress was hers. Actually, this was something she really could wear later (at least that was what she led herself to believe!)

Griffith Observatory was high up in the hills of East Los Angeles and the limo that dropped them off went to park with all the other sparkling shiny expensive imported automobiles. A tall thin man approached the red and brunette beauties. "Jackie, darling, I'm so glad you could make it!" He paused to appreciate the long length of freshly waxed leg that was covered by the not too short blue shirt dress and those eyes paused just briefly on Donna's chest until they met her sparkling eyes. "Hello." He said with a waggle of an eyebrow.

Jackie laughed, "Donna, this is Sal – he's my manager. Sal, this is my best friend Donna Pinciotti and she's only here for the night so no interviews….got it?"

Sal leaned down for an air kiss, "I got it – now go mingle!"

Expensive champagne flowed onto a pyramid of delicate glass flutes and handsome waiters carried trays with exotic finger foods. Comely waitress took orders for mixed drinks and weaved effortlessly through the throngs of famous personalities.

Donna nudged Jackie, she whispered, "Is that who I think it is?" Jackie followed Donna's finger. "Yes, but that's not her husband." Donna's mouth fell open. "wow." The two women crossed the lawn and stopped at a group of actors grouped around a concrete pillar. Jackie smiled politely and nodded her head at some celebrities she recognized but Donna couldn't keep her mouth closed. It was so surreal to see someone in person when two days ago she saw them on television!

The three domed ceilings of the observatory were lit up with bright lights and a band started playing some music from the 1940's. Jackie grabbed her friend's hand, "Let's go check out the Planetarium! There's some cool stuff to see inside." The pair of friends brushed past a young Tom Hanks who was conversing with Penny Marshall and they smiled and waved at a dashing Mel Gibson who clinked champagne with Robin Williams.

Donna felt one step removed from all these celebrities who were in their natural environment discussing things like replacing kitchen faucets and which car wash did a better job on the Bentley. She thought they would talk about movies and TV but the conversations were about every day mundane topics. Just like Jackie's was.

Just like Jackie had missed being home in Point Place.

Hollywood was lonely.

Donna smiled as Tom Selleck winked at her and she blushed when Ted Danson slipped her his telephone number. Jackie giggled and led her "celebrity" friend to the top of the buildings to look at the stars. Hollywood winked and twinkled below them. The stars blinked brightly against a black velvet sky. The moment was almost too surreal until Jackie said, "Hey lumberjack."

Donna blinked. "A beautiful lumberjack you munchkin." She leaned against the railing and gazed at the H O L L Y W O O D sign that looked huge from her vantage point. "You know Jackie….doing this…this thing with you – it's so different than anything I would normally do." She looked at her lovely friend. "You know it's funny, last Christmas when you were in Point Place and all those people were surrounding the house…"

"I remember. God what a nightmare that was!" Jackie exclaimed.

She smiled and continued, 'I said to Eric that I could never do what you did. I couldn't imagine that everything I did was being photographed. I even said I wouldn't trade my life for it."

Jackie was grinning. "….and now?"

Donna tossed back the remainder of the champagne in her delicate fluted glass. "Right now I love it!" She set the glass on the low table beside the ashtray. "I mean it's not something I would do everyday, but I feel like Cinderella and tomorrow my first class ticket turns back into a pumpkin and I go home to…normal."

"Well you ARE living with Eric." Jackie joked. "How much more normal do you need?"

"Ha ha." The red head chuckled. "I'm gonna miss you when I leave." Jackie felt a little choked up. "I'll miss you too." Neither woman wanted to ruin their perfectly made up faces so each turned aside to collect those emotions.

With a lump in her throat, Jackie said softly, "I can arrange another visit in the summer and we can see your mom."

Donna turned pressing her hand against her heart. "You'd do that?"

Jackie nodded. "We can hang out by the beach and work on our tans."

"You mean like we used to in the Forman driveway?"

Jackie giggled. "Yes but better. They have this thing that sprays on the suntan lotion. You'll love it!"

Donna squeezed Jackie's hand. "I love you. You are the best friend ever."

Jackie squeezed back. "You too Sasquatch…so is that a yes to summer in Malibu?"

Donna smiled. "Wild horses couldn't keep me away."

Jackie held up one finger. "One stipulation…" Donna frowned slightly. "Already?" Jackie nodded. "You can't bring any geeks with you." The two women laughed and rejoined the rest of the party.

xXx

The plane touched down in Kenosha waking Donna from an exhausted slumber. Her dreams were filled with Alec Guiness kissing her hand and Sean Connery refilling her glass with bubbly. She was walking barefoot looking out of her penthouse balcony shouting to the moon that she was beautiful and didn't care who knew it. Carefully wiping her bouncy hair from her eyes with a nicely manicured finger, Donna looked at her feet in sandals and knew it all hadn't been a dream.

She drank with the stars drinking to the stars and laughed more care free than she ever remembered. She dined on exotic foods and laughed with millionaires and realized they were just like her. Only richer.

_Hey Wisconsin….looking good!_ The surfer/chauffer told her at the departure gate. Dressed so elegantly, business suited gentlemen stepped aside so she could walk ahead. It was liberating and totally against her women's lib values. But….just for this weekend, Donna was a girl and loving it!

She walked through the terminal to see Eric looking frantically at all the arrivals and then realized he was looking at all the blonde women. He looked so adorable in his corduroy jacket and denim pants. Would he like the bow tie she _borrowed_ from Sebastian? Donna grinned and called out Eric's name.

He turned around and when he saw the new red headed vision of beauty, Donna could almost see his jaw drop to the ground and she laughed. He ran towards her and fell to one knee. "Marry me before Donna comes back."

Donna smiled and held out her nicely manicured fingers. "Get me a nice ring and I'll think about a long….long….very long engagement."

Eric laughed and hugged his long time love and girlfriend. "I'm so glad you're home. I hope Hollywood hasn't corrupted you."

Donna slid the Alec Guiness "kiss" Polaroid picture into his jacket pocket. She smiled and pressed her lips to his.

"Nope, no corruption. I'm glad to be back to _normal_." She replied.

She looked around the airport terminal and waved at her fellow first class passengers and shouted, "HELLO WISCONSIN!"

**The End**

**A/N**: This was my interpretation of what could possibly have happened – who really knows. I sincerely Tony enjoyed it and I'd like to thank him for letting me borrow a chapter from his story.


End file.
